


what's in a name (call it what you will and it still won't change)

by qwertynerd97 (Daffidill23)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Poetry, Prose Poem, Tatooine Slave Culture, Worldbuilding, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 04:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20772653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daffidill23/pseuds/qwertynerd97
Summary: Tatooine culture lends great significance to names, particularly last names.  What that significance is, though, depends on the people who are listening.





	what's in a name (call it what you will and it still won't change)

Slave names are a peculiar thing; Depur has never understood Amatakka.

Depur sees a slave named Skywalker, and thinks it a good investment. This, this is a slave that will return to Depur no matter what; this is a slave that has never longed to be free. Only when the household can afford no more slaves, when the coffers are dry and the workers have fled, only then will a Skywalker leave, stolen by some other Depur.

_ A slave sees the name Skywalker, and thinks freedom. Go to a Skywalker, they say, when there is no hope left. They know the secret ways, how to find a tracker hidden under the skin and loose its hold. They will set you free, one way or another, for the words dukkra ba dukkra rise easily to their lips. _

Depur sees a slave named Whitesun, and thinks it a wealth of knowledge. This, this is a slave who knows the ways of the desert; this is a slave that knows when the storms will rise. The warnings always come in time to save Depur, and if a few slaves are lost to the storm, that is just the cost of doing business on a dirtball like Tattoine.

_ A slave sees the name Whitesun, and thinks hope. Go to a Whitesun, they say, when you need to disappear. They know where the water pools in the desert, how to call down the kryat winds to hide your retreat. They will hide you so well that you will never be seen again, and your name will be passed on. _

Depur sees a slave named Darklighter, and thinks it a peacemaking tool. This, this is a slave that will keep the others quiet; this is a slave that can stop revolts before they happen. Even a single sickly old Darklighter will reduce the visible, rebellious behaviors of slaves far better than a dozen strong enforcers ever could.

_ A slave sees the name Darklighter, and thinks community. Go to a Darklighter, they say, when you need stories to sustain you. They know all the tales of mothers past, how to make tzai that soothes the soul. They will tell you the stories that can save your life, and teach you the lessons that will set you free. _

Slave names are a peculiar thing; Amatakka is a language of hidden meanings.


End file.
